There is a growing demand for people to be able to treat their own teeth, for example with tooth whitening products, beyond the traditional brushing with a cleansing product. An exemplary tooth whitening composition is disclosed in PCT application WO 01/01940, incorporated herein by reference.
The treatment fluid disclosed in the above-referenced PCT application is but one example of a number of useful fluid compositions which comprise a film-forming polymer dissolved or dispersed in a volatile solvent which can then be applied, e.g. by painting onto a surface to be treated. One of the problems posed by such fluids is the need to provide a convenient package that prevents the fluid from drying out yet is convenient to use when needed.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a disposable package for a volatile, film-forming liquid. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sealed package for a liquid, which package is easy to open and use. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a package that is economical to manufacture.
These and other objectives will become readily apparent from the detailed description that follows.
Sealed ampoules for liquid are known from e.g. German utility model DE 92 02 654 U1 which discloses an ampoule which can be snapped open to allow a brush to be inserted.
WO 98/53789 describes a multichamber ampoule having first and second cylindrical cases that fit into each other coaxially and are telescopic.
WO 00/41588 describes a self-cleaning dip-in package for liquids which comprise volatile solvents and film-forming resins.
The present invention provides a package comprising a reservoir for the liquid which is sealed by a rupturable seal. A cap, coupled to one end of the reservoir, is the form of a sleeve which is coaxially translatable along the reservoir from first to second positions. A cutting tool integrated with the cap ruptures the rupturable seal as the cap is moved from first to second positions so that the liquid can thereby be made accessible through an opening in an end wall of the cap.